Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Titirea - aspiring and inspiring

This is excellent - why? - because it means that people are getting involved, people want to have their say and although most will be part of some group - it doesn't matter. The dialogue and debate, publically, is the way to go.

"More than 190 submissions on the draft Mount Aspiring National Park Management Plan Review have been received by the Department of Conservation (Doc), and more are expected before the 5pm close today... "

From DOC

"A National Park's key role is to protect the values that make it special and to see that people enjoy those values. A management plan's role is to provide guidance on managing conflicting demands. The park faces a range of issues. These are addressed in the draft plan and include: aircraft use; visitor pressures in some places; protecting natural quiet; whether there should be commercial activity in remote and wilderness areas; preserving biodiversity in the face of threats from introduced pests – plants and animals."

From the draft plan - check out section 2 dealing with obligations, under the Treaty of Waitangi, between Crown/DOC and Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu as kaitiaki. Very interesting and impressive.

Perhaps the first stage of any discussion is to get the name right. The name of this maunga isn't Mt Aspiring, it is Tititea. or maybe Titirea/Mt Aspiring. The name of the National Park is The Mt Aspiring National Park, but if there is no legitimacy in the 'Aspiring' name then the name of the national park needs changed. Just a small point that doesn't diminish the good work being doen.